This study aims to investigate the differences in ratings of characters' forms or shapes between various Japanese calligraphic styles and a Japanese font. We used 11 pictures consisting of 10 calligraphic styles by a master of calligraphy and one Japanese font. Participants (N = 316) were asked to provide their impressions of each picture on a 20-point Likert scale, which was based on the semantic differential method. Exploratory factor analysis showed two common factors in the ratings of the different Japanese calligraphic styles and the font, namely, Comfort and Creativity. The results indicated that the font was rated highest on Comfort and Rounded calligraphic style was rated highest on Creativity. A detailed exploration of the differences in ratings between each style should be investigated in the near future.

A previous study has shown that there is a statistical similarity between the evaluation of impressions of Japanese fonts and of tea beverage package design. Recent research indicates that readable font design is related to subjective fluency. Here, we tested the effects of similarity between the evaluation of impressions of font designs and of package designs, and font legibility, on aesthetic impressions of packaging, using the 16 pictures combining fonts and packaging from the previous study. Thirty-four participants were asked to rate each in terms of aesthetic impressions (Balance, Harmony, Beauty, and Preference) and font legibility. The results showed that the similarity between the evaluation of elements had a greater positive effect on consumers' evaluation of aesthetic impression of packaging by mediation of improving font legibility. In conclusion, our results indicate that similarity between the evaluation of elements, and font legibility may be important when evaluating aesthetic impressions of packaging.

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